At Last
by Potterhead In The Arena
Summary: Ariana May and Albus Potter had been best friends since their first year at Hogwarts. Albus loved Ariana very much, and wanted to be more than friends, but didn't think that she returned his feelings. Ariana loved Albus very much, and wanted to be more than friends, but didn't think that he returned her feelings. You can see their problem...
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

One day of their fifth year, Albus was sitting beneath a large oak tree, reading his favourite book, when Ariana came running over, clutching a heavy book, "Al! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you - can you help me with my Potions essay?"

Albus looked up from his book and smiled, "Of course, Ari, what's it on this time?"

"The uses of leeches.." she frowned, sitting down next to him.

"Oh," he smiled, "I've already done that one - it's incredibly boring!"

"I know it is," she laughed, "that's why I came to you!"

As she was laughing, he laid down, resting his head on her knees.

Ariana looked down at her best friend, "You comfy there?"

Albus looked up at his best friend, "Very."

Slowly, she leant down towards him, "Hello.."

Only centimetres apart, he replied: "Hi.."

She moved a little closer, "Still happy down there?"

They were now just millimetres apart.

"Very." He replied, before he couldn't resist it anymore, and pressed his lips to hers.

After the initial shock of the person she'd always loved kissing her, Ariana returned the kiss, her eyes sparkling with joy.

After a while, Albus broke the kiss, "I think we have an audience, Ari.." He said, looking around at his cousins and siblings.

"Oh well," she said with a smile, "At least now we don't have to bother telling them!"


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Congratulations Al, it's only taken you two years!" Al's older brother, James, teased.

Al glared at James, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that Dad and Uncle George owe me a galleon each... I knew that-" James replied with a grin, before being cut off by his cousin Rose, Ari and Al's other best friend.

"You were betting again? I thought that you all promised Mum and I that you'd stop!? Anyway, I was wondering when you two would finally realise you were both in love with each other."

Rose's boyfriend, Scorpius walked over, "Rose, I think we all know that they weren't going to listen..."

Rose, Scorpius, Ari and Al had been best friends since first year. At first, Rose and Scorpius had argued constantly, but after a while they realised that, just like Rose's parents, they were in love and just too stubborn to realise it.

After a little while, Yet another cousin, Louis, appeared with a doubtful look, "Are you two sure you want to do this? If you break up then it could ruin your friendship.."

But before anyone could reply, Lily came running over towards her older brother and Ari, "What's happened Ari? I only just got here - I spotted Hugo from the castle!"

"Hey, Lil!" she said, before nudging Al and blushing, "Erm.. Why don't you explain, Al?"

"Um.. Ari and I.. Well.." he stared, before being cut off by James:

"They were snogging under the tree."

Lily looked shocked, "Really? Al's finally got a girlfriend?"

Ari smiled, "Yeah."

"Well I'd better go write to Dad then! Come on Hugo!" she laughed, before dragging Hugo towards the Owlery.

Al sighed, "Am I not allowed to tell anyone myself in this family?"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The next morning at breakfast, instead of the usual newspaper and the odd letter, Al received a rather large pile of letters, all from his family.

"I guess you weren't joking when you said you were writing to dad, Lil!" Al said, surprised at the huge amount of letters.

"Why would I joke? This is important - everybody needed to know!" Lily replied, clearly excited.

Ari cut in before Al and Lily started arguing, "Why don't you just open some of them?"

"Okay, I guess I probably should," Al began to open the letter on the top of the pile:

_Dear Al,  
I'm glad you've finally decided to get on with it and all, but couldn't you have waited another week so I won the bet?  
Uncle George_

Ari raised an eyebrow, looking towards James "So you were seriously betting on us?"

James looked away from his conversation with Fred, "Why wouldn't I? I may as well make some money out of this!"

Al rolled his eyes and opened the next letter: "Oh no! Mum has sent me a howler..."

_"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND? I SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO FIND THIS OUT FROM LILY! But anyway, I'm very happy for you two, and enjoy the rest of school."_

Al glared at Lily, "Well that was embarrassing."

Ari, still laughing at the shock on Al's face, reassured him, "That wasn't too bad, I've heard much worse howlers before.. Why don't you open the next letter?"

_Al,  
Congratulations!  
I know you're reading this out loud, so you might want to leave this next bit out. Don't make the same mistakes I did, just because you want to protect Ari doesn't mean that you shouldn't tell her things or leave her behind if something bad happens. When I was a couple of years older that you, I left your mum behind when I had to leave for a while (I'll tell you more about that in the holidays) because I thought it would protect her... It just made things worse between us afterwards.  
Tell Ari that she's still welcome to come and stay in the holidays, and that there's no getting out of having a jumper at Christmas this year, because your Grandmum has already started making hers!  
Dad_

After he finished reading the letter, Al stayed silent for a while, which only Ari noticed, "Whats wrong, Al?"

Al looked up from the table, "I'm fine, just thinking."

Ari wasn't satisfied with this, "What about?"

Al passed her the letter. After she'd finished reading, she smiled at Al, "That's good advice."

Lily looked up, suddenly interested. "What's good advice?"

"Nothing Lil, don't worry." Al glanced at the large pile of letters, "I think I'll finish reading these later..."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Ari and Al were sitting together in the almost empty Gryffindor common room, doing homework, when Ari looked up from her Charms textbook, "Do you think Louis was right, about this ruining our friendship?"

Al looked Ari in the eye, and smiled, "Ari, you're still my best friend, even if you are my girlfriend too."

"But what if we break up? Wouldn't that just make it awkward between us?"

Al shook his head, "Even though I don't plan on ever breaking up with you, if we did then I'm pretty sure that it would be a mutual decision, so it wouldn't be awkward, since we both agreed."

Ari smiled and shuffled along the sofa, closer to Al, "I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about that for a while... You're right though, we'll still be best friends if we're in a relationship or not."

"Don't apologise, sometimes you just need to talk to someone about your thoughts." Al moved his homework onto the table, then sat down again, with his arm around Ari.

Ari turned towards him and gave him him a quick kiss, before saying, "Then thankyou for being that person."

Al smiled, then asked, "Tomorrow's the Hogsmeade weekend, do you want to go with me and made it a date?"

"Sure, as long as we don't go to Madam Puddifoot's - that place creeps me out!" Ari laughed.

"I wouldn't dream of taking you there, Ari, it creeps me out too!" Al chuckled, "So, are you going to come to my house for Christmas this year?"

"If you don't mind, yeah... My parents are going skiing over Christmas, and I hate skiing, so I've been trying to convince them to let me stay with my aunt or something - your house is much better though!"

Al was just leaning in to give Ari a kiss when they were once again interrupted, this time by Scorpius walking over and sitting opposite them.

"Do you mind, guys?" asked Al, clearly irritated by the fact that him and Ari kept being interrupted.

Scorpius laughed at this, "This is the common room you know, we have as much right to be here as you do!"

After Scorpius finished speaking, Rose glared at him, "For Merlin's sake, Scorp, just leave them alone, can you not see that they are talking?" With that, Rose began to walk away, Scorpius following her.

" Thanks Rose!" Ari smiled, "Now where were we, Al..."


End file.
